It’s common knowledge that physicians swear an oath to “do no harm.” But sadly, here in Massachusetts, some pediatricians’ offices have broken that oath and are refusing to treat children whose families don’t want them to take certain vaccines. This is not just a serious breach of medical ethics; in some cases, it’s also illegal.
We told you earlier this year about how we helped a young mom whose three children were going to be expelled from their pediatrician’s office because their family objected to vaccines for religious reasons. The mother, who was a Christian, could not in good conscience allow her children to take vaccines that were developed with cells from aborted babies. We sent a demand letter to the practice, letting them know that since they were a public accommodation under Massachusetts law, refusing to treat patients because of their religious beliefs was illegal discrimination. After some negotiation, we were able to convince them to avoid a lawsuit and keep the children enrolled as patients.
Just recently, we received multiple reports of another practice that was threatening to kick out patients if their parents didn’t want them to receive vaccines, or even if they wanted to delay vaccine doses. The letter that the practice sent to all their patients didn’t mention anything about religious accommodations, but after looking into it further, we were able to confirm that they did in fact offer religious exemptions – they just didn’t advertise that fact. Had parents not pushed back, they may have been forced to take their children out of the practice.
It’s hard to know exactly what is driving the push across Massachusetts to force vaccines onto unwilling families. Whether it has to do with “big pharma,” insurance mandates, or just plain political ideology in a post-COVID world, it is unconscionable that a pediatrician would jeopardize a child’s long-term health by stripping them of medical care just because they disagree with their family’s religious views.
If you are a parent and your child’s pediatrician is pressuring you to give them a vaccine that conflicts with your sincere religious beliefs, know that you are protected under the law. The Massachusetts public accommodations statute requires all public places of business, including doctor’s offices, to accommodate their patrons’ religious beliefs and practices. You should not be treated as a second-class citizen, and your child’s health should not be put at risk, because of your deeply held convictions.
Have you or someone you know experienced religious discrimination at the doctor’s office or somewhere else? Contact our law center at [email protected]. We would love to see if we can help.
Will you join us in the fight to protect religious liberty? Help us continue to advocate for families in the Commonwealth with a generous donation today!
